Vehicle telematics systems are increasingly popular, and new telematics telematics units are put into service on an ongoing basis as new customer telematics units are activated. However, telematics units are also sometimes removed from service for various reasons. For example, a customer may no longer need telematics service, or may cease use of a certain telematics unit to begin use of another telematics unit.
Whatever the cause, the deactivation of telematics units can impede future actions with respect to such telematics units, e.g., reactivation, data gathering, shut down, and so on. For example, if a user has had a vehicle telematics module (hereinafter “telematics module”) deactivated and then subsequently sells the vehicle, the new user may wish to reactivate the inactive module. Typically, this requires a complex sequence of steps that is a burden and cost on service providers. As another example, a service provider may wish to collect data, e.g., for statistical analysis or network problem solving, from a deactivated module, but this is typically a difficult task given that the telematics unit is deactivated. Similarly, a service provider may wish to completely shut down a telematics unit that has been deactivated but that is nonetheless causing network interference. Such a service provider may, however, have difficulty contacting and controlling the telematics unit due to its deactivated status.
Furthermore, conventional telematics units may use “500” numbers, which are often also referred to as “follow me” numbers, that provide a user with single number, e.g., (500) 123-4567, that is programmable to ring any one of a spectrum of possible destinations based on user location, time of day, etc. Thus, 500 numbers are nongeographically specific numbers. The use of such nongeographically specific numbers requires hardware manufacturers (or wireless carriers) to pre-program a 500 number in the network so that the telematics unit is recognized when used. Moreover, preprogramming telematics units in this way also imposes a shelf life on the telematics unit as a result of having a live number in the hardware. Finally, the use of preprogram med 500 numbers requires adherence to the NANPA (North American Numbering Plan Administration) number utilization policy for 500 Numbers.
Thus, it is an object underlying certain implementations of the described principles to provide a system that allows for a telematics service provider (TSP) to efficiently initiate a data call connection with a deactivated telematics unit for the provisioning of the deactivated telematics unit or other purposes without the use of “500” numbers. However, while this is an object underlying certain implementations of the invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to systems that solve the problems noted herein. Moreover, the inventors have created the above body of information for the convenience of the reader and expressly disclaim all of the foregoing as prior art; the foregoing is a discussion of problems discovered and/or appreciated by the inventors, and is not an attempt to review or catalog the prior art.